Congressman Tom Reed won reelection against Nate Shinagawa in 2012, after being redistricted into the 23rd District from the 29th District.[3] Reed was challenged by DemocratJohn Plumb of Jamestown in the 2016 election.

In New York, there are numerous minor parties at various points on the political spectrum. Certain parties often endorse either the Republican or Democratic candidate for every office, hence the state electoral results contain both the party votes, and the final candidate votes.